Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Synonyms: Walker, 1853
Chauliodes fasciatus, Chauliodes serricornis (Hagen id error), Chauliodes lunatus
Explanation of Names
Nigronia fasciata (Walker 1853)
Size
Female 23 to 30 mm. long; Male 10 to 25 mm. long.
Larva 26 to 33 mm.
Identification
Wings are dark brown with an off-white (not bright white) stripe across the middle of the wings. The stripe extends from outside edge (costa) to just before inner wing margin and always has several brown spots, especially on the base half of the stripe. The base margin of the stripe also has a dip at center. Small off-white patch on outside edge (costal) near wing tip, and some white flecks.
Hind wings also have off-white stripe across middle of wing, and white at base, and white flecks on lower half of wing.
Range
e. US (reported from 23 states but not from the upper Midwest)
(1); Not present in Canada.
Habitat
Larvae: Small streams with sandy bottoms and few rocks; and good water quality.
Season
May to June, earlier in the southern states.
Food
Larvae feed on smaller aquatic animals. Adults may feed on nectar - drink sugar water in the lab.
Life Cycle
Females lay large egg masses in the afternoon from May to early June on the underside of leaves of branches over-hanging streams. After hatching (14 days), larvae drop into the water and feed on mostly Isopoda and Caddisflies. They will resort to cannibalism.
Remarks
Types:
Syntype of Chauliodes fasciatus male by Walker, 1853. Type Locality: New York. In the British National Museum, London, England.
Syntype of Chauliodes lunatus by Hagen (nec Walsh), 1863. Type Locality: Illinois, Maryland, New York and Pennsylvania. Museum unknown.
See Also
Similar Species: Nigronia serricornis usually has a uneven narrow, and somewhat broken bright white streak across the middle of the wing. Sometimes N. serricornis has a wide bright white stripe similar to Nigronia fasciata, but the stripe has no brown spots. N. serricornis hindwing has no white stripe across at midwing.
Print References
Catalogue of Specimens of Neuropterous Insects British Museum, 1852, Pt. 1 & 2 by Walker, pg. 201.
Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections, 1862, Vol. 4: Synopsis of Neuroptera of North America, by Herman Hagen, pp. 190 to 191: Note: misidentified – actually N. fasciata female.
Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Philadelphia, 1863, Vol. 2 #3 by Walsh, pp. 180 to 181.
New York State Museum, 1903, Bulletin 68 by Needham, pp. 457 to 459.
Collections Zoologiques, 1910 Fascicle 5: Megaloptera by Weele, et al., pp. 71-72.
Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, 1908, Vol. 10 by Banks, pg. 30.
Entomological News, 1916, Vol. 27, pg. 135 by McAtee.
An Introduction to Entomology, 1933 by Comstock, pp. 288-289.
Ohio State University, 1960, Thesis by Hazard: Revision of Chauliodes and Nigronia, pp. 5 to 15.
Psyche 1975, Vol. 82 by Tarter et al., pg. 82 to 88.
Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, 1997-98, Vol. 50, #3: Species Catalog Neuroptera, Megaloptera and Raphidioptera of America by Penny, et al., pg. 94.
